Adirondack Chairs - A Brief History

Adirondack chairs are possibly the most rustic looking yet elegant piece of furniture that was ever made. The most well designed chair of its sort does not have pieces nailed to each other. Each must be cut accordingly and then inserted to slots in another piece. Surprisingly, despite of that kind of construction, Adirondacks are very sturdy and long lasting. This is great for the outdoors, maybe situated by the poolside or on the porch. But have you ever thought about the history of Adirondack chairs? If you have, read on.The Adirondack Chair Design In 1903, a certain Thomas Lee needed large, comfortable chairs for the outdoors of their family’s summer home in New York. This area is located in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains, hence the name. The very first design had eleven wooden pieces which were cut from just one, thick board. Some of the pieces were for the seat while some were for the back and the legs. The rest of the parts are dedicated for the wide armrests. That last element of the Adirondack chair is the main feature of this beautiful chair.Another Designer Works on the Construction At first, the Adirondack Chair was named the ‘Westport Plank Chair’. Lee – the one who came up with the ‘beta version’ of the chair – offered the design to Harry Bunnell. Bunnell also lived in the same area but besides the proximity, he was also in need of cash so he got the job of working on the project. Realizing that this design is so amazing and quite perfect for the scene in Westport, New York, he made a lot and started selling it to other residents. According to some people, Bunnell got the patent for this in 1905 without the permission of Lee.Making It Better That was quite a controversy at the time, obviously. Nevertheless, Bunnell started making a few changes here and there to make it look even better. For instance, he decided that two colors would look amazing on these chairs: green and brown. He continued to make these chairs and earned money from it for the next twenty years.More Designers As time went by, more and more designers started making their own mark on the Adirondack chair. Gerrit Rietveld, a Dutch designer, made the Red and Blue chair. This features straight and angular designs. Gino Levi-Montalcini also came up with his own teak chair, very much like Rietveld’s, but simpler.